Kazakhstan’s Qarmet steelmaker is expanding its Qarmet Service industrial cluster into a broader ecosystem of localised manufacturers, with active production lines already operating and a proposed 150-hectare special economic subzone under development in partnership with the Karaganda Regional Administration and the Ministry of Industry and Construction.
The industrial cluster currently spans 20,000 square metres, of which approximately 7,500 square metres are occupied by operating production lines. Facilities already in operation include lines for knitted gloves, textile waste processing, yarn and fibre production, non-woven universal wipes and fire-safety stickers. The remaining capacity provides room for several additional manufacturing operations.
An offtake contract for respirator production has already been signed, with the new enterprise preparing workstations and procuring equipment. Further projects under development include big-bag containers, cleaning and washing products, secondary plastic goods and personal protective equipment including safety footwear, protective eyewear and hard hats.
Qarmet’s coordinator for the Kazakhstan Content programme, Zhandos Sarmanov, said the company was continuing to attract partners and localise high-demand product categories, noting that placing suppliers in close proximity to the main steelmaking complex improves supply chain resilience and reduces delivery times. Qarmet has also published a list of product categories for which it is willing to consider long-term and offtake contracts.
The broader economic rationale for the cluster is explicit: job creation, local tax revenues, development of small and medium enterprises, reduced import dependence and the formation of a competitive industrial environment around one of Central Kazakhstan’s largest employers.
